Well, it finally happened.

My beautiful bride caught her first fish on a fly.

Life is good.

We hadn’t planned on going flyfishing. In fact, we were just coming off a rather difficult week of appointments, surgeries and hard-to-manage cases and were both of the mind set that Sunday afternoon ought to be a little more on the mellow side.

However, as we were driving home from church, I casually mentioned that it was such a beautiful day that we ought not waste it by being indoors. I also casually mentioned that Craig Regional Park was a very peaceful and relaxing place with lots of trees and open spaces…and a wonderful little lake and stream.

I also casually mentioned that the new Sonic drive-in restaurant was nearby.

Ka-ching – done deal.

So, we ended up in Craig park and, wouldn’t you know it, I just happened to have not one but two fly rods in the back of the car.

The wind was a little too stiff for the novice fly-caster so we headed over to the little creek which is flanked by trees and is more protected.

Now, I’m only mildly bragging but the little Mrs. picked up the fundamentals of roll casting like the proverbial duck on a June bug. Before too long I moved several dozen yards upstream and essentially left her to her own devices so that she could develop her technique.

Before long, she yelped and, sure enough, there was the tell-tale twitching of the rod tip signaling a fish on. After a short battle, she landed the little Bluegilland lipped it like she’d done it a hundred times.

When I asked her how she knew to do that she said she learned it from all of the pictures on our web site.

Oh! I guess somebody is paying attention.

Anyway, she went on to land two more little ‘gills before things started to slow done.

We moved up and down the bank but could not find the fish anymore.

I fished a little more but she decided to call it a day and laid down in the grass to mull over her success and enjoy the long, warm rays of the afternoon sun.

Now, I am not exaggerating when I say there was the picture of heaven right there in that park that day; My bride, stretched out on the fresh green grass of Spring alongside a quaint babbling creek, highlighted by the golden rays of the sun, with her fly rod next to her…